Carol's Triple Caramel Birthday Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:
1C (2 sticks butter)
2C granulated sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 C milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract and 1 tsp almond extract
(if you are using self-rising flour you can skip the baking powder)

For the filling:
2 sticks butter
2C packed light brown sugar
1/4 C whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 stick butter
1C packed dark brown sugar
1/3 C heavy cream, may need a little more
1 16oz box of confectioner sugar
1 tsp vanilla
whole toasted pecans for top of cake
1 12oz pkg of mini chocolate chips for sides of cake

Directions:
For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9" cake pans.
Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add granulated sugar and continue to cream well for 6-8 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add baking powder to flour. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Add vanilla and almond extract and stir just until mixed. Divide batter equally among the 3 pans. Level batter in pan by dropping pan onto the counter several times to release air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes, testing with toothpick after 18 minutes. Watch carefully to not overbake. Toothpick should have just a few crumbs attached.

Filling:
While cake is baking, in a saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and milk. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Let layers cool for 10 minutes, remove from pans. Cool. Put 1st layer on plate. Poke holes all over with a toothpick. Spread slowly 1/2 cup filling on layer. Put next layer on and poke the holes and cover with 1/2 cup of filling. Put last layer on.

Frosting:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add confectioner sugar and vanilla. Beat with mixer until it reaches a spreading consistency. At this time it may be necessary to add a tiny bit of heavy cream, or more, if frosting gets too thick. Frost cake and press chocolate chips around sides of cake. Arrange pecans on top.

Dulce De Leche Cake Recipe

For the dulce de leche filling:
1 quart milk
1 cup sugar
a vanilla bean, split in half and seeds scraped
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp water

For the cake:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 sticks salt free butter, room temp
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
5 egg whites, room temp

For the frosting:
1-1/2 sticks salt free butter
1 16oz powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream, more if needed
pinch of salt
sliced almonds for garnish

Make the Dulce de Leche filling.
l. In heavy large saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, vailla bean, and the seeds and bring to a gentle simmer over mediaum heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the milk begins to get foamy on top, stir to incorporate the foam.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the water, and add to the milk mixture.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Let cook, stirring occasionally without working the foam into the milk. After 1 hr remove the vanilla bean.
4. Continue cooking , skimming occasionally, until tan, very thick, and reduced to about 1 cup, 1-1/2 hrs to 3 hrs, depending on the heat of your stove. The milk will continue to darken as it cooks. Strain into a clean container and let cool. Refrigerate covered until ready to use. It will thicken as it cools, and will keep in the frig for 2 wks.

Make the cake:
1. Position a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two round cake pans each 9 inches in diameter and 1-1/2 inches deep.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, using electric mixer set on med high speed, beat the butter until light.
4. Gradually add the sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
5. Reduce the speed to low and dividing the flour mixture into three batches, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, just until combined.
6. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with clean, dry beaters and set on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
7. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten whites into the batter just until incorportated. Divide the batter between the pans, smooth with the spatula.
8. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out almost clean, about 25 to 30 min. Cool in pans 10 min. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cakes. Invert onto racks and let cool completely.

Make the frosting:
l. In a small skillet or pan melt the butter over medium-hi heat until nut brown in color, about 10 min. Remove pan from heat and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add confectioners sugar, vanilla, salt and butter. With the mixer on low, slowly add cream; beat until smooth. If frosting seems too thick, stir another tablespoon cream into the mixture.

Assemble the cake:
1. Carefully slice each of the two cooled cakes in half to make four layers. Set on layer on the cake plate. Generously spread about 1/3 cup delce de leche on top. Top with another cake layer and spread with another 1/3 cup of the dulce de leche. Repeat with another cake layer and top with the final forth cake layer. Set delce de leche aside.
2. Frost the toop and sides of the cake with the frosting. If using the sliced almonds, press into the sides of the cake. Drizzle wwith remaining dulce de leche sauce. Refrigerate until serving.

Dulce De Leche Cake

Hi Cake Bakers! A couple of weeks ago my sister Chris made a cake for a dinner party called Dulce De Leche Cake. I had heard of this cake, commonly called 3 Milk Cake. This is not a cake that would usually catch my eye, but she swore it was the best cake ever so of course I had to try it. I missed my bestie's birthday back in June so I decided to make it for her belated bday since she was coming for a visit! I wasn't that impressed when I tasted the filling, or the cake batter or the frosting by themselves, BUT, WOW WOW WOW altogether in the cake it is spectacular! No kidding, try it and you will be amazed how delicious it is!! Make the filling the night before and it really did take over 3 hrs to cook down. I made the layers the night before also, and wrapped them in plastic. No need to refrigerate those.
Wish I would have taken pictures of grandson Riley helping me "make" the cake. It was adorable! Recipe posted soon.

Guest Blogger: White Chocolate Mocha Cake By Andrew Walker

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOCHA CAKE


I was having a vanilla latte at Starbucks and was wondering what a white chocolate mocha cake would taste like. So, I stopped by my local store and picked up the ingredients to give it a try.

The White Chocolate Mocha Ganache was a little easier. Follow the recipe below. It is important that the ganache be allowed to cool completely. It will whip up light and fluffy fast. Refrigerate cake after it cools. This will help set the frosting.

The comments at the potluck I went to were positive. This cake will start out sweet and give an intense punch of coffee flavour at the end. Enjoy!




WHITE CHOCOLATE MOCHA GANACHE

½ heavy cream
12 oz. white chocolate, chopped
4 tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp espresso powder

In small heavy saucepan, heat the cream just until it starts to simmer.
Add the white chocolate and slowly stir until chocolate is melted. Add butter and stir until butter melted.

Refrigerate until cold. Whip with wire whisk until fluffy and frost the cake.


ESPRESSO CAKE

1 pkg white cake mix
3 eggs
Water
Oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Tsp espresso powder.

Add egg whites AND yolks to the cake batter. Add the vanilla extract to the measuring cup and fill with water according to the package directions. Dissolve the espresso into the water/extract mixture. Bake according to the temperature but add a couple more minutes to the baking time because of the addition of the egg yolks. Cool cake completely before frosting.

Banana Cupcakes with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting

This cupcake is sooooo yummy! Very rich banana flavor in a tender moist cake with a butterscotch flavored cream cheese frosting! If you like banana, you are going to go crazy for this cupcake... and it's also very easy to make! Save those over ripe bananas, just mash them up and add them to the batter. Only 17 minutes to bake, 20 min to cool, frost and you can be enoying one in no time!

Recipe

Banana Cupcake Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour or 1/2 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (that's what I use)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

14 cup sour cream

1 12 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 large bananas, peeled and mashed

1/2 chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Line 1 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners

Makes 12 cupcakes

In medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl of electric mixer or using hand mixer, beat butter and sugar. Add sour cream and the vanilla. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Incorporate the dry mixture and wet mixtures together until thoroughly combined. Add the bananas and walnuts, being careful to not overmix. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 way full. Bake in the preheated oven until the tops turn golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the oven and let cool before frosting.

Butterscotch Frosting

Ingredients

6 oz cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T unsalted butter

1/4 tsp salt

6 T butterscotch sauce, purchased or home made

In bowl of a standing mixer, combine room temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy, 3-4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add the Butterscotch sauce, 1 T at a time, mixing thoroughly. Chill frosting until it thickens to spreading consistency. I put mine in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Better Than Starbucks Blueberry Coffee Cake

Last summer Whitney ask me to find a blueberry coffee cake recipe just like the lowfat one she loves from Starbucks. I have finally found it! It's better than Starbucks! The best part is, with only 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 1 cup of yogurt, it comes in at 210 calories per piece! It's moist and yummy enough to serve for dessert, not just with your morning coffee! I think it would be fabulous with other fruit, such as raspberries or marionberries too.

Also, don't be tempted to exclude the pastry flour, it adds a tender crumb that is crucial to your finished product!

I made mine in a 9 inch square pan and baked it for 32 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 C all-purpose flour

1 C whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 T sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 C chopped walnuts

1/2 packed brown sugar

2T butter, at room temp

2T canola oil

2 large eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

1 C plain nonfat yogurt

1 to 1 1/2 C fresh of frozen blueberries, thawed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your 8 or 9 inch square pan with foil, leaving a 6" overhang on each side so you can lift it out of the pan. Spray foil with pam.

Wisk together the 2 flours, the baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter and oil until fluffy. Press out any lumps in the brown sugar with the back of a wooden spoon. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined. Beat in the vanilla and yogurt. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, stirring JUST until combined.

Spread 1/2 of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of the nut mixture over the batter and top with the blueberries, gently pressing them into the batter. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the rest of nut mixture over the cake, pressing gently. Bake until a woodent toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool slightly, take hold of foil "handles" remove from pan and let cool til room temp. Cut into 2" squares.

Pineapple Upside-down Cornmeal Cake Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 C whole milk

1 C course ground cornmeal

4 oz unsalted butter

8 oz dark brown sugar (1 cup)

6 slices canned pineapple in heavy syrup

6 marischino cherries (optional)

1/3 C chopped toasted pecans

3 T juice from pineapple

3 eggs

1 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 C sugar

1/2 C canola oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a microwave-proof dish, bring the milk to a boil and add the cornmeal. Stir and let soak at room temp for 30 minutes. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a 10 inch cast iron skillet (or springform pan wrapped in foil to prevent leakage). Once the butter has melted, add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 5 min. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully place 1 slice of pineapple in the center of the pan. Place the other 5 pieces around the center slice. Place the cherries in the center of the pineapple. Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the fruit. Drizzle pineapple juice over top.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt into medium bowl and whisk to combine.

In separate mixing bowl, whisk eggs. Add sugar to the eggs and whisk. Add the canola oil. Add the cornmeal mixture to the egg mixture and whisk. Add this to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Pour batter over the fruit in the skillet and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 30 min. Set plate on top and quickly invert. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Mine was done in 35 min. and was a little brown on the edges and all bubbly! It was so delicious. Make sure you soak the cornmeal the entire 30 min so it's not too crunchy. Enjoy!